Read The Stonecutter: A Herod Chronicles Novella Online
Authors: Wanda Ann Thomas
CHAPTER
15
Two long weeks after Cephas departed, Mary was on her way to him. She'd been torn. She hadn't wanted to leave so soon after the baby was born, but Alexandra insisted. And Nathan assured Mary he would have made the trip soon anyway.
“You usually can't contain your joy when we approach the sea,” Nathan remarked over the creaking wheels of the donkey cart.
Marriage contract clutched in one hand and the pink sandstone in the other, she forced a smile. Anxious to be reunited with Cephas and apologize for rejecting him, and for doing it more than once, she took no pleasure in the rugged descent into Hammett and the azure sea stretching in all directions. The sooner they were on their way to Dabaritta and Cephas, the better.
Nathan patted her hand. “We will take a slight detour before entering the city. I have a surprise for you.”
She bit back a protest. Nathan had been unfailingly good to her. She couldn't and wouldn't say no. “A surprise?”
Nathan smiled. “Arrangements have been made for you to take a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee.”
Shocked, she laughed. “I’ve always wanted to sail on the sea. Father promised to take me someday.”
“I thought it would make you happy.”
She lifted her face to the sun. “I loved hearing Father tell how he fell in love with your mother and wooed her with boat rides on the sea.”
Nathan steered the donkey around a deep rut. “He was very good about sharing stories with me about my mother. I think he was afraid I would forget her.”
Mary sighed. “I miss Father.”
Nathan put his arm around her. “He was gentle. And loved to smile. He and Cephas have that in common.”
The cart rumbled within hailing distance of the glittering sea, which was actually a large freshwater lake. A weathered wooden boat bobbed at the end of an anchor close to the rock-strewn shoreline. The beach was deserted, except for a man reclining against a small cluster of boulders.
Spotting them, the man stood and waved.
Mary stored the marriage contract and sandstone disk in a basket and shaded her eyes against the midday sun. Something was familiar about the man's broad shoulders. Her heart leapt. The cart rattled to a stop.
The man strode toward them, a smile dimpling his rugged face. Cephas was waiting for her by the Sea of Galilee. She jumped from the cart and raced through waving sea grass with Nathan's joyous laugh speeding her on.
She flew into Cephas's strong arms. “What are you doing here?”
He lifted her off her feet and twirled her in a circle. “I was hoping to exchange kisses for a boat ride.”
He set her down and she gave his cheek a smacking kiss. “Where did you find the boat?”
His chest rumbled with laughter. “I exchanged a day's use of the boat for a day spent scrubbing the patched tub clean.”
“Was it as horrible as it sounds?”
“Worse.”
She pressed closer to his warmth. “I missed you.”
His mouth skimmed her jaw. “I knew you would come to me, my brave, sweet Mary.”
She threaded her fingers through his thick locks and stared into his beautiful brown eyes. Her heart felt ready to burst with joy. “I love you. I will travel with you to the ends of the world and beyond. I will be your safe haven. And you will be mine.”
His kiss was impossibly gentle. “I will do everything in my power to keep you safe.”
“Love me. That's all I want.”
“My heart will always beat for you.”
They held each other. Seabirds called out and waves lapped against rocks. “I will return for you in a few hours,” Nathan yelled from a distance.
They waved back, and Cephas took her hand and led her to the water's edge. She removed her sandals while Cephas retrieved the boat.
A short time later they floated blissfully upon a sea of blue, the sun warming their faces. Cephas stowed the oars and held his arms out. “Come sit with me.”
Careful not to tip the boat, she negotiated the distance. He pulled her into his lap, and she wrapped her arms around his strong shoulders “You made my dreams come true,” she said. “The Maidens' Dance. Rowing me across the Sea of Galilee. A life outside the hills of Galilee. An escape from the unhappy memories. I don't know how I will ever repay your kindnesses.”
Cephas remained silent for a long moment. Then his eyes turned shy. “Would you sing for me?”
His vulnerability surprised and touched her at a soul-deep level. She had long since stopped thinking of him as the shy stonecutter. People who didn't know him would think he was overly reserved, since he withdrew into himself when in large crowds or surrounded by strangers.
Yet he planned to live in distant cities to practice the craft he loved. Strong and capable and talented as he was, Cephas needed her. He needed the comfort and reassurance of her presence.
“Lo, winter is past,” Mary sang in a low whisper, lacing her fingers with his. “The flowers appear on the land, the time of the singing of the birds has come. Until the sun passes and the moon flees, my beloved shall be mine and I shall be his.”
Cephas had said.
Enjoy the days the Lord sees fit to bless you with.
She planned to heed his words, confident that joy unlike any she had ever known would be her reward.
The End
~ Author Note ~
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Thank you for reading!
I hope you enjoyed
The Stonecutter
. The next book in
The Herod Chronicles
series is Lydia Onias and Kadar the Barbarian’s story and covers the years when Herod’s enemies have him on the run and fighting for his future. Find
The Barbarian
here:
http://dld.bz/TheBarbarian
§
Thank you for reading
The Stonecutter
! As an author I love feedback. So, tell me what you liked, what you loved, even what you hated. I’d love to hear from you. You can write me at:
[email protected]
and visit me at:
http://www.WandaAnnThomas.com
Finally, I need to ask you a favor. If you are so inclined, I’d love a review of
The Stonecutter
. Reviews can be hard to come by these days. You, the reader, have the power now to make or break a book.
All the best,
Wanda Ann Thomas
~ Other Books by Wanda Ann Thomas ~
The Warrior
(Book 1)
The Barbarian
(Book 2)
Warring Desires
(Book 3)
~ Acknowledgements ~
The opportunity to say thank you to those who help make a book the best it can be is one of the nice reward after you write
The End
. It’s my pleasure to work with some kind, talented, generous people.
Much gratitude and hugs to beta readers Megan Macijauskas and Marti Chabot for catching the big and small mistakes. They also help ensure the story makes sense and the characters are likeable and hero-worthy.
Big thanks to Wendy Thomas for proof reading and for doing it under a tight deadline. Typos seem to creep in no matter how careful you are. Thank you, Wendy, for helping sweep out those annoying critters.
And a shout out to Nina Pierce for teaching me to format, so I can produce my own publication ready documents. Nina has been wonderfully helpful and encouraging each step along the way on the journey called Indy Publishing. Thank you, Deb!
Special thanks to editor Faith Freewoman who knows all the grammar rules I forget or don’t know. Faith also goes the extra mile to help consult on my covers and the book description. Faith offered great insight and feedback during the process of choosing a new look for the series. We are both very pleased with the results.
Dar Albert is the talented and fabulous cover artist who took those ideas and created my new covers, which I love, love, love!
~
About the Author ~
Wanda Ann Thomas writes fast-paced historical romance set among the tumultuous perils of the ancient world. She adores heart-felt love stories, featuring warrior heroes and courageous heroines who will brave any danger for loved ones and struggle against overwhelming obstacles to win their happily ever after.
Building stories based in the Roman/Judeo world, Wanda’s interest in first century history was sparked by reading the works of the historian Josephus. The inspiration for The HEROD CHRONICLES came about while doing research for another project and she discovered the particulars of Herod the Great's career. Herod was a fascinating complicated man whose larger-than-life exploits are made for fiction.
A native of the state of Maine, Wanda starts each day bright and early at her computer writing and drinking coffee. When the weather allows she and her husband average three rounds of golf a week. She confesses to being overly fond of chocolate chips cookies, winter vacations spent in sunny Florida, and her large boisterous family.